The federal government's "no sex without marriage" message isn't just for kids anymore.

Now the government is targeting unmarried adults up to age 29 as part of its abstinence-only programs, which include millions of dollars in federal money that will be available to the states under revised federal grant guidelines for 2007.

The government says the change is a clarification. But critics say it's a clear signal of a more directed policy targeting the sexual behavior of adults.

"They've stepped over the line of common sense," said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that supports sex education. "To be preaching abstinence when 90% of people are having sex is in essence to lose touch with reality. It's an ideological campaign. It has nothing to do with public health."

Abstinence education programs, which have focused on preteens and teens, teach that abstaining from sex is the only effective or acceptable method to prevent pregnancy or disease. They give no instruction on birth control or safe sex.

"I think the program should talk about the problem with out-of- wedlock childbearing — not about your sex life," Brown says. "If you use contraception effectively and consistently, you will not be in the pool of out-of-wedlock births."

WASHINGTON -- States can use their U.S. grants for abstinence education to reach out to people in their 20s rather than just focusing on teenagers, new federal guidance says.

The guidelines for this year's $50 million program, known as Title V, include new wording about the populations that are the focus of the abstinence education. The age range cited is 12 through 29 years old.

"To be preaching at these adults a message of abstinence-only is absurd because it simply won't work," he said.

"If the goal is to reduce unintended pregnancies, there is something called birth control," Wagoner said. "And the government should be promoting it."

Abstinence is never going to happen. Period. People are going to continue to have sex because it's enjoyable and it's what they want to do. Why not help to make more birth control options easily available to people, and educate them on practicing safe sex? I'm so grateful for places like Planned Parenthood, who truely help people with low income to have birth control options made easily available to them.
Abstinence....Right. And it has nothing to do with religion, too, I'm sure.

_________________"I may detest what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire

i have to agree with jobot. and besides, guys, it does take two to have sex....why is the fact that girls enjoy sex as much as guys do surprising? it's usually when they get older they seem to lose that drive....for some at least.

but, trying to make or force, or even encourage people not to have sex is probably the most absurd thing anyone could think of. humans, like any other living organism will always have sex..no matter what.

it seems that many americans have a real hang-up about sex, especially the more religious people. my personal feelings is that i hope all religious people stop breeding...permanently. the world would be much better off.

Abstinence is never going to happen. Period. People are going to continue to have sex because it's enjoyable and it's what they want to do

I disagree with that statement. There are plenty of people that do not have sex until they are married. There are clubs in schools for teenagers who are against having sex before marriage.

It just takes will power and wanting to do what is right. I don't understand the problem with asking people to wait until they are married to have sex? People cry about sex education and then cry when you try to do it.

Waiting until your married to have sex is a form of sex education. It is also a form of birth control. You don't have sex, you don't get pregnant.

I disagree with that statement. There are plenty of people that do not have sex until they are married. There are clubs in schools for teenagers who are against having sex before marriage.

When I was in HS (12 years ago, so things may be different now), there was this whack program promoted by all the zillions of churches around here called something like "Love can wait". They sent promisory notes around that people would sign saying they wouldn't have sex until marriage. WHAT A CROCK! I went to a small school (my class had about 130 students) and I can nearly certify that at least 85% of them had sex (including myself). But they still would hipocritically swear they didn't. I happen to know they did because a lot of people would "confide" in me, or I would be around when it happened. Hell, pressure was so bad to pretend you didn't have sex that the head cheerleader was pregnant for SIX months before she finally told everyone and went to the doctor. The truth is that if it weren't so freaking taboo to have sex, sex would be a much healthier practice in general. So the programs to talk about in schools that are groups that say they won't have sex until marriage, its very likely that a good majority of those kids are doing it because of parental/religious pressure to pretend they don't have sex. I think that denial of sexual desire turns people weird. Certainly there are people who really don't want to have sex yet, but a lot of the times people who are repressing this urge end up practicing deviant behaviors. I know a few people who later in their life told me about things they would do to NOT have sex. One of them molested a relative (no penetration=no sex, right) and had sex with the family dog (not a human, so it doesn't count, right?). There is nothing wrong with sex. There is nothing to be ashamed of. I don't think 13 year olds should do it, mostly because they can't handle the decision yet (but certainly their are exceptions). The government shouldn't try to regulate natural behaviors and certainly shouldn't try to legislate morality.

There is nothing to be ashamed of. I don't think 13 year olds should do it, mostly because they can't handle the decision yet (but certainly their are exceptions). The government shouldn't try to regulate natural behaviors and certainly shouldn't try to legislate morality.

I agree that the government has no right to attempt to regulate but, I also see no harm in anybody asking people to not have sex.

i have to agree with jobot. and besides, guys, it does take two to have sex....why is the fact that girls enjoy sex as much as guys do surprising? it's usually when they get older they seem to lose that drive....for some at least.

but, trying to make or force, or even encourage people not to have sex is probably the most absurd thing anyone could think of. humans, like any other living organism will always have sex..no matter what.

it seems that many americans have a real hang-up about sex, especially the more religious people. my personal feelings is that i hope all religious people stop breeding...permanently. the world would be much better off.

Well, I hope I never lose my sex drive. It'd be a huge loss.

I also don't understand the hang up on sex. What's the big deal? Everyone has sex...are we just not allowed to talk about it? ooo

_________________"I may detest what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire

There are plenty of people that do not have sex until they are married. There are clubs in schools for teenagers who are against having sex before marriage.

I've never understood the whole religious belief of "waiting until you're married." I don't care if that's what you choose to do, but I just don't understand it.
IMO, you have to completely know someone before you commit to being with them for the rest of your life. Part of that is sex. What if the sex's bad? What if he/she is into sexual things that you're not? I just don't believe you can have a completely successful and happy marriage without great sex.
...gotta try it on before you buy it, right?.

_________________"I may detest what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." -Voltaire

Last edited by jobot on Wed Nov 08, 2006 4:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I'll say that, while not squeamish about sex, per se, I DO consider it a private issue. I'm not one to go around describing my sex life in detail--like many of my friends do--because I consider it disrespectful to my partner and to the act itself. Sex is a natural part of life, but I do tire of seeing how cheap its become in modern society. Call me old-fashioned, but I think it should be something special, and don't understand casual sex.

As for abstinence, I don't think it can be disputed that it is the MOST effective form of contraceptive. Sex certainly is enjoyable, but people are separated from animals by our ability to control our instincts/impulses. To say that it is unreasonable for people to control their urges is to say that people are not responsible for their actions, and I don't believe that to be the case.